Dog Breath
by goshinote
Summary: Inuyasha is a hanyo with many canine qualities, so even he is vulnerable to that little problem all dogs have. Complete.


Okay, but are we not going to address the fact that after being asleep for fifty-years, Inuyasha probably had some _really_ _intense_ morning breath? And don't we think that it probably wouldn't have subsided all that much because, like, dog breath, and also because there was a severe lack of oral hygiene products in the Feudal Era?

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Dog-Breath**

Kagome peered up at the boy pinned to the tree in wonder. She awed at the shine of his silver hair and the adorable little dog ears on top of his head.

Drawn to them, she climbed up a nearby branch to get closer to the boy.

_I think I wanna…touch them._

She gently rubbed the ears and reveled in how soft they were.

_How did he get there? _she wondered silently. _How did this happen?_

Her internal musings were interrupted by the appearance of the centipede.

At some point of time, of which Kagome was not certain, the boy had woken up.

"Hey."

Kagome looked up to see him frowning at the centipede.

"You think you can remove this arrow?"

Before she could answer, she was pinned to the tree against him.

A smell invaded her senses.

_Ugh! _she thought to herself. _What is that putrid smell?_

It wasn't until the boy opened his mouth again to shout at Kaede that Kagome smelled it again.

_Is that…his _breath_?_

Yikes.

Kagome, desperately trying to ignore the stench, tried to focus on the more pressing matter at hand. It was almost too difficult, but she managed.

The young girl had pretty much forgotten about it until he pulled her along behind him after the crow yokai that had stolen the jewel. Due to his proximity, the foul smell assaulted her senses again, and Kagome cursed the Feudal Era for not having toothpaste or at _least_ mouthwash.

As their journey for the shards began, she learned to just not breathe in too much when he was especially close to her, which eventually just became the norm. It wasn't like he was got close to her often anyway. Her scent still _annoyed_ him.

Later on, though, as Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship changed into a close friendship rather than a forced partnership, Kagome found that being in close proximity with him became a much more common occurrence.

_He's really the epitome of dog-breath_, she thought to herself after a bout of him checking her for injuries. He'd gotten quite close to her face to observe a cut on her cheek, and that was when Kagome realized she couldn't handle the smell anymore.

She had to do something, but therein lay the problem. She knew he wouldn't like the toothpaste smell or taste. He complained about it every time she brushed her teeth when he was around. Kagome also knew that he would probably be embarrassed if she mentioned his little problem to him.

Kagome herself had a dentist appointment not too much later, and that was when she got an idea.

"How do you cure halitosis?" she blurted to the dentist after she had finished examining her teeth for cavities.

Her dentist frowned. "What makes you ask that? You don't have any signs of halitosis. You do have one cavity, but otherwise your oral hygiene is very well-maintained." Kagome cringed at the mention of a cavity, but focused on her initial question.

"Well," Kagome began, "I have this friend and, well, he doesn't really have access to a toothpaste and toothbrush, so…" The dentist laughed.

"So there's a bit of a smell?" she asked. "I can give you an extra toothbrush and tube of toothpaste to take with you if you would like." Kagome shook her head immediately.

"He won't use it," she replied. "He hates the smell and the taste."

The dentist thought for a moment before she stood up. "I'm going to get the things I need to fill your cavity. I'll also bring you something for your friend. I think I know what might be a somewhat decent alternative."

When the dentist returned, she set something down on the small counter behind her as she focused back in on the Kagome's cavity-ridden tooth.

As the dentist began to fill the cavity, she explained what she'd grabbed. "This is a special type of gum," she said. "It does have a slightly sweet taste, but I've never heard complaints about it. I use it myself, and I don't mind it at all. It kills bacteria in the mouth. It's usually recommended to be chewed between meals or after eating something especially sugary if you're not home to brush your teeth. I'm sure that would work for your friend. You can buy it online as well for whenever this pack runs out."

Kagome smiled in relief, which was actually pretty difficult with two hands rooting around in her mouth.

"Hank oo oh mush," she said, her thanks garbled by the dentist's poking and prodding. The dentist laughed behind her mask.

"Alright, let's finish up this cavity and then I'll let you be on your way."

Ecstatic despite her sore mouth after her appointment, Kagome practically skipped through the shrine grounds and hopped happily into the well.

Unsurprisingly, Inuyasha was perched in a tree near the well, so he wasn't hard to find.

_Thank goodness he's alone, _she thought to herself. _I don't want the others to ask me to try it._

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called up. Said hanyo glanced down at her before hopping to the ground.

"Took you long enough," he said, the gruffness in his voice unable to hide the softened look in his golden eyes.

Kagome smiled. "I brought you a present." She handed him the pack of gum, which Inuyasha peered at curiously.

"What is it?" he asked. Kagome paused; she hadn't thought of a good answer.

"Uh," she stuttered slightly. "It's…a snack. You have to chew it a few times and spit it out, but it has special powers." Inuyasha looked skeptical.

"Powers?" he repeated. "What kind of powers?" Kagome tried to hide her flustering.

"It strengthens your teeth," she explained, which was true. "It's something new that I got today, and I thought you might like it. Have a piece now and try it."

Inuyasha, although still uncertain, opened the packet and put a piece in his mouth. After chewing for a moment, a look of pleasant surprise came onto his face.

"Wow," he said. "This tastes really good. It's kind of like pocky, but without the brown stuff." Kagome giggled.

"I'm glad you like it," she replied. "You have to chew one piece in the morning and one piece at night for it to work." She figured that would be the equivalent of normal teeth-brushing. "I can bring you more whenever you run out." Inuyasha looked pleased.

"Cool," he said. "Thanks." Kagome smiled.

_But does it work?_

Deciding to test the gum, she leaned in and gave Inuyasha a chaste hug, making sure to position her head in the middle of his chest to get the closest whiff possible without being too obvious.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "You're being weird."

_YES. NO SMELL._

Kagome shrugged against him. "Just felt like it."

Inuyasha scoffed but returned the embrace. "Keh. Whatever, woman."

So all in all, Kagome considered it a success.

And it wasn't until much later, when they were reunited in a Meido in which Kagome had been stuck for three days, that they shared their first kiss.

Upon tasting the leftover sweetness of the gum he still used, Kagome smiled against his lips and once again felt a wave of gratitude come over her for that fateful dentist appointment all those months ago.

FIN.

A little humorous, a little short, but I couldn't resist. Also, they do make a special gum that has that very same purpose just in case you personally have a dog hanyo friend with bad breath.

Much love. :)


End file.
